Surrey-based athlete Christabel Nettey finished fourth in the women's long jump final at the IAAF World Championships track meet in Beijing today (Friday, Aug. 28).
Her best jump was 6.95 metres, just off her personal best of 6.99 metres, a Canadian record she set earlier this year.
"I was feeling really well and confident," Nettey, 24, told Athletics Canada. "The fact that I couldn’t respond and move with the girls is really disappointing. Fourth is really hard. I took a chance on my last jump; felt right away that it was a foul.
"I had a really good first jump (6.95m), hoping to build off of it, but I let some technical stuff get away. My goals were bigger than fourth place.”
In qualifying on Wednesday, Nettey recorded a best leap of 6.79 metres on her third attempt, going over the auto-qualifying mark of 6.75 metres, to place third in Group B and advance to Friday's final.
"A little nerves after the second jump, but I’ve been closing on my last jumps all season, took the tips from my coach and make the adjustments," Nettey told Athletics Canada after the qualifying round.
"I’m going to go out there (in the final), keep executing like I have all season and have fun."
The previous best finish by a Canadian at the World Championships in the women’s long jump was by Ruky Abdulai in 2009.
At the Pan Am Games in Toronto last month, Nettey won gold in the women’s long jump with a distance of 6.90 metres.
Earlier this season, Nettey took gold with a 6.99-metre jump at Stockholm’s XL Galan track and field meet. Not only did she break her own Canadian indoor long jump record, the University of Arizona grad set the bar for the longest jump in the 25-year history of XL Galan’s women’s competition.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com